The morning is usually ok for me and i can get from brekkie to lunch with either nothing or fruit & some nuts. but by 3/4pm i can't ignore the munchies (despite probably already having had some more fruit) and I'm so BORED of fruit, chewing gum, nuts.....

Today my ride home was fueled by an embarrassing mix of smarties, mini choc bars and sesame snaps (and damn, i went fast! ) but just wondering if anyone else has the same problem and whether you just give in to your desires, or actually have a strategy to avoid it.

I'm not over weight but i would be happy not to increase! I just find the increased appetite that goes with increased exercise difficult to control!

I have a big tub of carb/protein powder under my desk.. it's a combination of powdered oats and max's supersize (mainly carbs).. I have a big drink at 10am and 3pm, in addition to a decent sized breakfast, lunch and dinner..

Everything in site... Hardest time of the day for me .One trend I have been noticing is on the weekends I do a lot of km's racing and taking in a lot of sugar, the week after i crave food much more... Usually mid afternoon. Takes me 3 or 4 days to get back on track. Otherwise coffee coffee coffee...

Tip 1.As others have incinerated, you are probably not eating and drinking regularly and adequately enough earlier in the day.

Work out how many Calories you spend in a day, then divide by 3. - Before midday, eat the result plus 100- midday to 6pm, eat the result plus 100- after 6pm, eat the result less 200

i.e. you spend 2400 Cals in a work day / 3 = 800. So, 900 in the morning, 900 in the afternoon, 600 in the evening.

For lunch, I find a very large salad (or salad sanga), or stir fry with lots of veges, both combined with a good serve of protein, keeps me satiated longer. Generally, afterwards, an orange or apple and couple of glasses of water get me through to dinner.

Tip 2.Staying in neutral fluid balance is also critical, so a good idea to drink 2x250 mls glasses of water (in addition to caffeinated drinks) before main meals, and 1x250 ml glass before snacks. (though you may need more water than this.)

Tip 3. Go to bed early. If you stay up past 930-10pm, most of us disrupt biorhythms and normal appetite.

thanks for all the suggestions - yes i do eat a LOT (but in my defence i am training a lot. well, quite a bit....)

by mid afternoon i would have already hadan eggtoastat least 3 or 4 pieces of fruitalmonds (and more often than not a snack pack of nuts & raisins)salad or beans & riceyoghurtlots of chewing gumendless cups of peppermint tea interspersed with fizzy water

i'm wondering if a bowl of porridge or muesli might be the way to go....

(yes, i am also one of those people that would eat everything in sight given half the chance, especially in this cold weather! maybe i'm just addicted to masticating )

Can I hazard a guess you have no idea how many Calories/kJ you expend from day to day, or your daily average over a week?

This is worth spending the time to find out. If you want a hand with it, PM me and I'll help you. The reason a lot of us start gain weight as we age, is we still eat the same amounts of higher energy density foods, when we should be decreasing those and eating more low energy dense high nutrient dense foods.

It is my understanding that the act of chewing kick starts the saliva glands and stomach juices to get ready for food. This might be contributing to your munchies. I am not a chewing gum expert so take that information with a grain of salt.

::raises hand:: Yep, a daily struggle for me! I keep a ready arsenal of fruit handy and hydrate like a maniac but still fall victim to 3pm syndrome on a tiresomely regular basis. Chocolate is my go-to, yes, you can set your watch by me slinking furtively up to the vending machine AGAIN Now and again I try to fill up on non-sugary stuff and I'll shamefully confess to a crumbed chicken & cheese snag earlier in the week, erk

I think with me to a large degree it is behavioural, and at times I've actually considered getting re-programmed but figured there were probably worse vices than a Snickers or two between friends ...

There are then a number of other formula which calculate BMR. This means it calculates what you need should you be in a coma. 1/ Harris-Benedict formula: Very inaccurate. It was derived from studies on LEAN, YOUNG, ACTIVE males MANY YEARS AGO (1919). Notorious for OVERESTIMATING requirements, especially in the overweight. IF YOU CAN AVOID IT, DON'T USE IT! MEN: BMR = 66 + [13.7 x weight (kg)] + [5 x height (cm)] - [6.76 x age (years)] WOMEN: BMR = 655 + [9.6 x weight (kg)] + [1.8 x height (cm)] - [4.7 x age (years)]

3/Katch-McArdle:Considered the most accurate formula for those who are relatively lean. Use ONLY if you have a good estimate of your bodyfat %. BMR = 370 + (21.6 x LBM)Where LBM = [total weight (kg) x (100 - bodyfat %)]/100

As these are only BMR calculations To convert BMR to a TOTAL requirement you need to multiply the result of your BMR by an 'activity variable' to give TEE. The Activity Factor is the TOTAL cost of living, NOT JUST YOUR TRAINING. Think about it - if you train 1 hr a day - WHAT ARE YOU DOING THE OTHER 23 HRS?! So MORE important than training -- it includes work, life activities, training/sport & the TEF of ~15% (an average mixed diet). Average activity variables are: 1.2 = Sedentary (Desk job, and Little Formal Exercise) 1.3-1.4 = Lightly Active (Light daily activity AND light exercise 1-3 days a week) 1.5-1.6 = Moderately Active (Moderately daily Activity & Moderate exercise 3-5 days a week) 1.7-1.8 = Very Active (Physically demanding lifestyle & Hard exercise 6-7 days a week) 1.9-2.2 = Extremely Active (Athlete in ENDURANCE training or VERY HARD physical job)

How Accurate are they?: They give rough ball-park figures and are still 'guesstimations'. So the aim is to use these as 'rough figures', monitor your weight/ measurements for 2-4 weeks, & IF your weight is stable/ measurements are stable, you have likely found maintenance.

General guidelines for protein would be as follows: - Moderate bodyfat = 1-1.33g per pound TOTAL weight [or ~ 1.25g/pound lean mass if bodyfat known] - Very Low bodyfat or Very Low Calorie = 1.25 - 1.75g per TOTAL weight [or ~ 1.35 - 2g/pound of lean mass] - Very HIGH bodyfat, Inactive, = 0.8 to 1g per TOTAL weight [or ~ 1 x LEAN mass] Anecdotally, most find these HIGHER protein intake better for satiety, partitioning, and blood sugar control. So UNLESS you are specifically guided to use the GENERAL sports nutrition guidelines, I would suggest the BODYBUILDING values.

2. Fats: Generally speaking, although the body can get away with short periods of very low fat, in the long run your body NEEDS fat to maintain general health, satiety, and sanity. Additionally - any form of high intensity training will benefit from a 'fat buffer' in your diet - which acts to control free radical damage and inflammation. General guides: Average or lean bodyfat: 1 - 2g fat/ kg body weight [between 0.40 - 1g total weight/ pounds] High bodyfat: 1-2g fat/ LEAN weight [between 0.4 - 1g LEAN weight/ pounds] IF low calorie dieting - you can decrease further, but as a minimum, I would not suggest LESS than about 0.30g/ pound. Note 1: Total fat intake is NOT the same as 'essential fats' (essential fats are specific TYPES of fats that are INCLUDED in your total fat intake)...

3. Carbs: For carbs there are no specific 'requirements' for your body so - but carbs are important for athletes, HIGHLY ACTIVE individuals, or those trying to GAIN MASS. [carbs help with workout intensity, health, & satiety (+ sanity)]. If you are an athlete involved in a good volume of training I would suggest you CALCULATE a requirement for carbs as a PRIORITY - then go back and calculate protein / fat: Moderately active: 4.5 - 6.5 g/ kg (about 2 - 3g/ pound) High active: 6.5 - 8.5 g/ kg (about 3 - 4g/ pound) INTENSE activity: + 8.5g / kg (more than 4g/ pound)

Who is online

About the Australian Cycling Forums

The largest cycling discussion forum in Australia for all things bike; from new riders to seasoned bike nuts, the Australian Cycling Forums are a welcoming community where you can ask questions and talk about the type of bikes and cycling topics you like.